1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a deterrent for the prevention of hijackings in general, and in particular, to a method to completely immobilize the passengers in the passenger cabin in the event of a significant threat to the aircraft or passengers without affecting the flight crew or flight crew compartment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Airplane hijackings are oftentimes accomplished by the hijacker being able to threaten passengers or flight attendants in order to coerce the flight crew personnel to fly the plane to the hijacker""s destination. Recent events indicate that the hijackers may now seek to commandeer the plane and actually take the flight controls for the hijacker""s intended purpose. It is therefore imperative that airliners be designed such that the flight crew personnel can exercise some control over the passenger section of the aircraft without exiting the flight crew compartment, and it is further imperative that airliners be designed such that access to the flight crew compartment is denied to those individuals having intent to harm the flight crew personnel or commandeer the aircraft. The Applicant, a pediatric dentist, immobilizes or places individuals in a sedate state on a daily basis through the use of nitrous oxide (N2O) and oxygen (O2) in the dental operatory. The individual does not lose consciousness, but is placed in a semi-conscious state having virtually no motor faculties. Such a system installed to operate in the passenger section of an aircraft and controlled by the flight crew personnel would provide an inexpensive and effective means by which the flight crew personnel could control the passenger space from the flight crew compartment when an incident was in progress.
An object of the present invention is to provide for a novel deterrent to aircraft hijacking, which would allow the flight crew personnel to immobilize passengers in the passenger portion of the aircraft with the introduction of a pressurized gas, such as nitrous oxide.
A further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel deterrent to aircraft hijacking wherein the system allows the flight crew personnel to place the passengers into an immobilized semi-conscious state with virtually no motor faculties until the system is purged by the flight crew personnel.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide for a novel air craft hijacking deterrent which is easily installed on present aircraft and does not interfere with the normal operation of the aircraft.
A pilot controlled relative analgesia system in which there would be located in the aircraft, possibly in the storage or luggage portion of the aircraft below the passenger deck, a pressurized source of gas capable of immobilizing individuals by placing them in a semi-conscious state, such gas including but not limited to nitrous oxide, and a control system positioned in the flight crew compartment either manual or electronic in nature for the deployment of the gas into the passenger portion of the airplane when a flight emergency in the form of a possible hijacking exists. The concentration level of nitrous oxide would be achieved and maintained until the flight crew/air marshall with self-contained breathing apparatus could enter the passenger cabin and restrain and secure the appropriate individuals or alternatively maintain the level of nitrous oxide gas until the plane could be safely landed.